‘Most wanted’: CTD arrests five suspects linked to a political party

Safdar Don and four other accused also said to be associated with RAW

KARACHI: Indian intelligence agency, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), has established its links in Karachi and its official are working in various government departments, including the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board, said Counter-Terrorism Department SSP Naveed Khawaja on Tuesday. Some of these agents have already been arrested in the past from government departments.

Addressing a press conference at CTD Civil Lines to reveal the arrest of five suspects said to be affiliated with a political party, the SSP said one of the most wanted criminals, Safdar alias Safdar Don, was arrested during a raid conducted on a tip-off in Liaquatabad.

“The accused is a close aide of notorious criminal Raees Mamma and is affiliated with a political party,” said SSP Khawaja. He added that Mamma, who has links with RAW, is currently hiding abroad ever since the Karachi operation was started.

The officer further said that the CTD police also arrested four of his companions, who were identified as Barkat Ali, Riaz Ahmed, Shakeel and Zahid, during separate raids in different parts of the metropolis. The police also seized a huge cache of arms and ammunitions from them.

“They hid the weapons in an empty plot in Korangi,” said the CTD officer, adding that the weapons included a G-3 rifle, 222 rifle, MP5, three repeaters, two pistols and hundreds of bullets. The SSP said the weapons would be sent to the forensic division of the Sindh police for confirmation of the weapons being used in recent target killings.

Cases have been registered against them while further investigation is under way, he added.

Political party worker held

Federal B Industrial Area police on Tuesday claimed to have apprehended a worker of a political party, who was allegedly involved in over a dozen target killings and extortion cases in the city.

The accused, identified as Sheraz alias Bablu, was arrested during snap-checking on main Rashid Minhas Road while weapons were also found in his possession. SHO Naeem Khan said that during initial course of interrogation, the accused has confessed to killing at least one dozen people belonging to Sunni Tehreek and Baloch community.

The SHO said that the accused was also being questioned about his possible involvement in the arson cases of the deadly 2009 Ashura bombing at Light House Signal that claimed over 40 lives and wounded several others. The officer added that the suspect’s name was also mentioned in the joint interrogation report of Faisal Mama, who was recently arrested by the paramilitary force. The police are also trying to arrest his companions.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 30^th,  2016.